Last week the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri that hashtags do not help Instagram posts get more views.
Adam went on to say, “They do help us to understand what a post is about which means it might be more likely to show up in a place like a hashtag page for instance, but in general no, I wouldn’t try and think of hashtags as a way to try and get more distribution.”
So… does that throw your strategy out of the window? Should you no longer use hashtags in your posts?
The long and short of it is that Hashtags are what Instagram uses to categorise your content. If you want your content to result in more reach or views, the key is engagement. As this is what boosts your content.
The algorithm reflects likes, comments, direct messages, and other interactions on the app, and adapts to your habits to show users the content the company feels users will want to see most.
This is likes, comments, saves, tapping through to look at your profile, and another key one, time spent doing that. This is what Instagram is looking for and deems the quality high value and then suggests it to be seen by more people via the explore button, top posts on hashtag pages, etc.
Now this is where the reach comes from for hashtags – not just simply using the hashtag itself. So if you’ve found you’ve had a tonne of likes or engagement, it’s because you’ve posted quality content.
Not sure how to create quality content?
That’s where we can help! I’m Liz, the founder of Brandari and we use original ideas to communicate with your target audience in a way that makes you stand out. Want to know more about our services and how I can help you and your business? Complete our enquiry form and we’ll set up a call.
